Arizona Cardinals: 5 free agent targets placed with tag

These five targets were given franchise tags by their respective teams on Tuesday

The Arizona Cardinals have five less players to worry about in free agency this spring.  With free agency now just a little over a week away, teams were able to place franchise tags on players. Nine tags were placed on Tuesday.

Of the nine players who were tagged on Tuesday, five of them had the potential of being targeted by the Cardinals in free agency. Of the nine tagged players, just one though got the exclusive tag designation, meaning no other team can offer that player a contract. That player was Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller.  There was no way the Broncos were letting him go.

Here are the five potential targets:

Trumaine Johnson, CB, Los Angeles Rams

If the Rams had not placed a tag on Johnson, someone else would have paid dearly for him.  At 6-2 and 26 years old, not to mention the seven interceptions he had in 2015, he was going to be heavily sought after. Now there may be another suitor outside the Rams for Johnson but it won’t be the Cardinals.

The Cardinals can get away with what they have or pay a lot less for someone just slightly below the value of Johnson. The Cardinals want to get taller in the defensive secondary but it looks like they will fall short on this player.

The Rams would have to be crazy not to come to terms with Johnson by the July 15th deadline.  I see the Rams likely beating any offer given to Johnson by another team.

Next: The comeback continues with same team